Woods isn't all the way back, but who has bounced back better?/CARMEN MANDATO
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Still, I get your point. Who else has fallen off a mountain that high, hit bottom and climbed back to the point where Tiger is these days? Not many, certainly.
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Remember, Tiger was thought of as the best golfer ever by many. He was certainly in the conversation.
Muhammad Ali, because of his draft status and his fight to the Supreme Court, comes close, but that wasn't because of his ability. Michael Jordan, maybe, if you count his baseball struggles. Again, it isn't the same thing. Michael Phelps, in some of his non-Olympic years, seemed to be struggling, but he would refocus and rally. Roger Clemens was ordinary for awhile and rallied, but most of us believe that was because of PEDs.
Hey, we've seen a lot of athletes collapse. Pete Rose. Lance Armstrong. A-Rod. But it's the climb back up the mountain that will define Woods. Achieving success twice is rare indeed.
Still, I don't think we've ever seen anything like this.
Cecil DeBald
Well, there is this blonde sitting behind the goal ...
I'm kidding, of course. But, please understand, the view is kind of restricted. You have glass around you, and the player who just scored is flashing past. You check out the goalie for his reaction (and a clue of what might come). You check the ref to make sure there is no appeal of the goal. You look at the other players as they gather around the net.
I don't think there is a time-honored moment where you look at the defenseman and taunt him. I just think you're on a crowded bench, facing one direction.
IMHO, the quality of the Rays’ stadium is way less important than the quality of the team. The Rays are now totally devoid of any marquee players. Since its World Series year of 2008, the following ‘star’ players have left:
Carl Crawford at end of 2010 season
James Shields at end of 2012 season
David Price during 2014 season
Ben Zobrist at end of 2014 season
Evan Longoria at end of 2017 season
Not surprisingly, team performance and fan interest has trended downward in lockstep.
Regarding the proposed new stadium, never has so much public money been up for grabs to entertain so few. That being said, I will be at opening day having bought a $40 ticket for a 300 level seat (normally $15) supporting this charismatic team.
Is there any pot of gold at the end of this rainbow?
Scott Myers
No, there isn't any gold at the end of the rainbow. Coincidentally, though, the Rays chances of making the playoffs this year are exactly the same as finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
My problem with your list of departed players is this. Look at the "in" basket. It's not very impressive, is it?
Every team, the big-money teams and the small-money teams, lose players. That's natural. Guys get old, they get hurt, they move out of the way for new guys. You wouldn't want Carl Crawford in left field in 2018. You wouldn't want James Shields throwing the ball.
But how can a team replace a beloved player if it doesn't even try? Or if it trades for kids who never arrive?
I will disagree that fan interest has faded as badly as performance, though. Even in the good years, there wasn't that much interest. Oh, people watched the games on TV, but people have rarely gone to the park to watch.
I'd love to tell you that I'm convinced the Rays are being smart here. I know they weren't going to win the pennant this year, and I can understand the concept of bottoming out and then making another run. But I hope the Rays are aware of how hard they are making it on their fans, the ones who do come, and one who do care.
Ok, I'm not a basketball fan at any level, but I do have a question - why does the NIT exist? Seems to me it matches up the bottom portion of the basketball teams, those below number 64 or so... Is it similar to the reason for the large number of NCAA bowl games that match up 6-6 teams - is it just that it generates money even if nobody much cares about it? Or does the winner of the NIT get a “National Championship” and their state issues a license plate?
Cecil DeBald
In life, there are great mysteries. Why are their mosquitos? Who built the statues on Easter Island? Who, in fact, let the dogs out?
Then there is the NIT.
The Kmart version of tournament basketball.
For the life of me, I can't figure out why it's still being played so some team that was 15-14 can still feel good about itself. All I can figure is that enough gamblers want action on the nights that the NCAA Tournament isn't on.
When I was young, I remember that some teams actually bypassed the NCAA Tournament in favor of the NIT. Not so anymore. I read something the other day that, at UCLA, they have banners for every NCAA title. But not for their NIT title in 1985.
I know this: If I were a college basketball player, and I had just put in 30 games and a conference tournament, and I cared at all about my classes, I would have zero use for the NIT. It's like not getting invited to the World Series, but finding out you're in a slow-pitch softball tournament instead. No Olympics, but you can run at the company picnic. That sort of thing.
Left Tackle Nate Solder, who protected Tom Brady's blind side, has left for the New York Giants. Wide receiver Danny Amendola is rumored to be leaving for the Miami Dolphins any minute now. Tight end Rob Gronkowski has hinted at retirement. Brady will be 41 when the season starts and, Solder or not, nobody escapes that final sack from Father Time. Dare we even dream that the New England Patriots' dynasty is over?
Peter Kerasotis
Dreams are free. You can dream as much as you wish, Peter. With Belichick, the Patriots aren't the fuzziest team to embrace. No team that wins as much as they do is.
But let me caution you a bit. Part of Bill Belichick's strength as a coach is the way he wins after dealing away great players. That was true when he traded away Wes Welker and Richard Seymour and Logan Mankins and Chandler Ward and Jamie Collins, when he lost Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi and when Aaron Herandez went to prison.
Another part of the New England success has been the dysfunction in the AFC East. When is the last time that Miami, New York or Buffalo had their ducks in a row.
It's a simple formula. You improve through the year, you take advantage of a weak division and you make the post-season.
New England is unlikely to find another Brady after this one is done. But until the AFC East can make a muscle, they'll be okay. They lead the league in coaching, in ownership, in quarterbacking. I think think be all right until Father Time sacks Belichick.
(Peter is a long-time Florida sports columnist, a buddy of mine, and the author of several books. His latest is Felipe Alou My Baseball Journey is scheduled to be released on April 1. He'd grin if you bought one.)
Jason Licht says Chris Baker didnt work out with the Bucs because of lack of chemistry in the locker room. Out there is Ndamukong Suh, who is apparently “difficult”. Shouldn’t Jason Licht still go big time after him?
Cecil DeBald
I think professional sports is one of the things on the checklist of a company looking for relocation. But I'm not sure that those companies are saying 'Hey, let's go to Tampa. Good seats are available."
Put it this way: You go to tell a plant manager that you're moving to Tampa. Do you think the Bucs, with no playoff wins since 2003, are going to make him happy? Do you think the Rays lineup is going to excite him?
I think the cost of living helps. I think the weather helps. I think the beaches and the theme parks help. I think the golf courses help.
The sports teams? Are these companies moving from Canada and , therefore, love hockey? Is Gerald McCoy a big deal in Montana? Does upstate New York think the world of Chris Archer?
Maybe not.
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